Sunrise
by GreyGold
Summary: "It's the color of your hair," Jellal whispered.


**Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

**_Just to clarify: The story takes place in the original guild hall by the sea, assuming much of it was destroyed and the second floor had rooms to use as an infirmary. Instead of whatever really happened in the story, it's told as if Tartarus attacked the guild hall._**

**Edited 8-2-14.**

* * *

_Damn. My legs won't move._ Erza was sprawled on the hard ground, battling against the angry snarling dragon-like creatures before her. She was still injured from the Grand Magic Games and the bout with Minerva and Kagura, still too injured to have her full strength at her disposal. But she couldn't let Natsu and the others get dragged down because of these monsters. They had to get away and fight the rest of Tartarus.

Pain shot through her torso at every movement and she could feel blood seep into the bandages that clothed her. "Is this how it ends?" she wondered hazily as she remembered Cana's advice to rest up before joining the fray. How foolish she had been that day, pretending her wounds were fine, trying to be strong when she knew she wasn't.

No. Erza Scarlet couldn't be taken down waiting to die. She had to be in action at the very least. And yet despite her will, her body wouldn't comply. The bit of magic she had used to perform Heaven's Wheel had drained her of her last dregs of strength. She couldn't support the most basic of armors. As she struggled to push herself up, her arm shook and she felt her cheek on the ground, the dirt surprisingly comforting and cool. Her vision was already dimming, flickering like a candle whose wick had been burned out. She had weakened so quickly; her mind hardly processed the fact that she was losing consciousness.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that there were snarls behind her, close behind, and in her tunneled vision she spotted sharp teeth, metallic scales. _I'm sorry…_ She closed her eyes tight, waiting for the blow that would end her life. But her anticipation was to no avail. There was no pain and the sounds of the impending doom she'd faced seconds ago was gone, leaving only the sound of her own labored breathing.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and she jolted to alertness, but the pain the movement caused made her dizzy and she closed her eyes to reduce the nausea.

"Erza." It was a familiar voice and again Erza forced her eyes open. Blue hair met scarlet near green eyes somewhere in her blurry vision. "Jellal…" she whispered hoarsely between shuddering breaths. He didn't speak again, not wanting her to strain herself to reply, and instead gently lifted her into his arms. Again, she felt a faint stirring in her mind, this time of indignity to be carried in battle, but her body refused anymore abuse. Her vision went dark.

* * *

She woke up to soft bed sheets against clean bandages and for a moment, she couldn't place where she was or what had happened. There was a ceiling above her, dark wood panels high above, bathed in shadow. _Fairy Tail. Guild Hall. _Her memories rushed back. _The attack_. She bolted up, almost doubling over as her ribs and side exploded in agony. Clutching her side, she realized she wasn't alone. On the chair beside her, near the window, which revealed a star-filled sky, was Jellal.

He was asleep, head in his arms which were resting on the pillow she'd just sat up from. Before she could do much more than look at him, another shock of pain sent her to the brim of being violently sick in the bed. Bile rose in her throat, her breaths coming fast and shallow.

The movement and heavy breathing woke the blue-haired man and in an instant, he was crouched beside her. "Erza! What's wrong?" he asked, alarm evident in his tone. She could do no more than grit her teeth to prevent herself from retching. He tried to get her to lie back down, but realized his efforts were in vain. Movement would cause only more pain. If only it were daytime and the medics were awake. He didn't know where they were now, but he couldn't watch Erza endure the indescribable agony he could tell she was in. "I'll be back," he said quickly, brushing a scarlet strand out of her eyes, before walking out of the small room.

Erza fell weakly onto her less-injured right side. Sweat already drenched her shirt, dampening her brow. She couldn't believe she was so pathetic. Never before in her life had she been downed by such a simple battle—she was indeed a fool. She didn't know how long she lay there, didn't even remember losing consciousness in a particularly intense fit of torment, when the door burst open and Porlyusica was ushered in by a pajama-wearing Makarov. Jellal was at their heels.

"Leave!" Porlyusica said, bothered as usual by the presence of other humans. Reluctantly, the two men, one short and one tall, turned, closing the door behind them. Porlyusica sighed and put down the basket she'd been carrying on the chair Jellal had emptied a short while ago. "Humans…" she muttered as she gently turned the bandaged girl before her and pried Erza's stiff fingers off her wounded side. When the girl choked from the pain as the injury was prodded, a thick, bitter liquid was forced down her throat and all became oblivion again.

* * *

When Erza next awoke, it was to hushed voices near the foot of her bed. For a few minutes, she lay staring at the ceiling, eavesdropping on pieces of the conversation that was loud enough to reach her ears.

"… Natsu's fine now…"

"… haven't won… not yet!"

"… she can't fight… her injuries…"

"I won't allow it!"

At last, Jellal's voice was heard saying, "She's awake" and the group was suddenly gathered around her. It was the same group from what she deemed was the night before. Makarov wore a worried expression, the first she'd ever seen from him. Jellal reflected his concern, his intense green eyes gentle, reminding Erza of how he'd been when he'd rescued her after losing her eye. Porlyusica had already briefed them on Erza's condition, but Erza herself had a right to know as well.

"Are you awake enough to talk?" she asked brusquely, though truly, she was a kind person.

Erza replied hoarsely that she was.

"Good. Makarov wanted me to tell you about your condition so you won't be reckless enough to exacerbate your injuries thinking you can fight." She paused, sighed one of her unending sighs, and continued. "You suffered some severe internal bleeding yesterday night and though I've managed to heal most of the damage, you're still extremely weakened. You probably know the rest from before your brash decision to fight when Tartarus attacked. Just imagine them worsened." Turning to Makarov, who nodded, she picked up her basket and left.

The old man sighed and plopped down on the chair and sat staring out the window, as if gathering his thoughts, before turning to Erza. "How're you feeling?" he asked finally.

"I'm all right," Erza muttered before turning away. No matter how badly injured his "children" were, Makarov did not hold back a scolding. But this time, to Erza's surprise, he didn't get cross at her.

"I'm not going to punish you," he said, noticing her nervousness. "Not now anyway…" He, too, was stressed and he simply wanted to discuss what the guild's plan was. "I just wanted to tell you that we won that battle and Tartarus has been reduced to rubble. We haven't won the war yet, but we're going to send another group of wizards in tomorrow to finish it up." He looked at her and gave her one of his goofy grins. "Don't worry. Your friends are all in good shape. You really saved them back there, ya know?"

Erza smiled, relieved that their team was not all in as bad a condition as she was. They sat silently, enjoying each other's company, but at last, Makarov noticed Jellal feeling more and more out of place and got up to go. "Erza…" he said, turning before he left, "just get some rest. I'll let Jellal fill you in on anything else you want to know."

The minute the door closed, Jellal was talking. Erza had really never seen him so anxious or angry before. "I could never understand you, Erza," he fumed quietly as he took the chair again. "I know you're strong but—"

"Thanks," Erza interrupted, not wanting to have to go through a scolding with Jellal of all people. "For rescuing me, I mean."

Jellal just looked at her for a few minutes, taking in her eyes, weary and yet showing her usual spirit, which had been missing yesterday when she'd been quite literally writhing in pain, her skin no longer as deathly pale as it had been. Erza took in the sight of him. He wasn't exactly in the best condition either, with dark bags under his eyes and a slouch to his shoulders.

"I was so worried," he murmured, breaking the silence, and almost shakily, he reached out to stroke her cheek as if to make sure she was really still there. And for the first time since his imprisonment and their incident on the beach, since he'd started visiting the guild regularly with Ultear and Meredy, she laughed, laughed at how crazy their whole relationship had been, how even when everyone in the guild knew of the couple, they still tried to deny it. She laughed even though it hurt because it was so obvious and he was so adorably clueless why she was chuckling. For once, the endless pretending: to be strong, to be uninterested in the blue-haired man she'd been in love with since she was a child, made her hysterical in a way she herself couldn't understand. Perhaps she'd finally cracked under the strain. Abruptly, she covered her mouth to stop her laughing, breaking out into laughter again when she saw Jellal's stunned features. And yet as he watched the red-haired woman, he couldn't help but grin his own rarely-seen lopsided grin.

* * *

Dawn crept slowly over the horizon as the couple at last talked the way they had longed to for so long, without reserve and without censor. They'd spoken for hours, reminiscing on the long-ago days in the Tower of Heaven, the people they'd met, the fear they'd felt. They spoke of Jellal's prison days, of Erza's early guild days, of their friends and their thoughts, and of course, of each other. But through it all, they hadn't yet brought out the words that sat on the edges of their tongues, begging to be set free, though there was a silent promise that soon, they would be.

"The sun's rising," Jellal said, looking out the window.

"It's beautiful… the colors," Erza smiled at him. He turned back to her, almost boyish again, having let loose all his guilt and remorse just to live in that moment as the Fairy Tail wizards did.

They watched as it rose, its blazing arms painting a scarlet horizon against the sea. "It's the color of your hair," Jellal whispered.


End file.
